Nobody wants to have to deal with a dental emergency, but there is no changing the fact that sometimes they are unavoidable. In the event that you or a loved one damages a tooth and is in severe pain, you will probably be wondering what course of action to take and how to find an emergency dentist in the Peterborough area. Here is a step-by-step guide to follow.
Contact us at Dr. Ralph Bastian Dentistry
Finding an emergency dentist can be challenging. We are available for you from Monday to Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm. Most emergencies can be seen the same day. Outside office hours, you can call the on-call pager number 745-748-8500. Within one hour your call should be returned and arrangements will be made for your attention. The dentist on call will only see emergencies from 8 am to 8 pm (7 days per week). After 8 pm, contact Emergency at PRHC as described below.
Contact the Emergency Department at PRHC
You can call 705-743-2121 to get in touch with the emergency department at Peterborough Regional Health Centre. The local on-call system will put you through to the various lines, and they will be able to advise you in terms of which emergency dentist is available at which emergency dental clinic. After 8 pm, for genuine emergencies, the Hospital may prescribe antibiotics and analgesics. For obvious reasons no fillings or extractions are done at the Hospital.
Visit to the Emergency Dentist
Once you have arrived at the emergency dentist’s practice, he or she will investigate the extent of the dental emergency and do a thorough medical history. If the tooth is not salvable he or she will usually choos to do an extraction. Sometimes a root canal can save the tooth and a referral to the endodontist can be made. In many cases the tooth can be restored and the emergency dentist can do this procedure.
In many sports injuries a tooth can be knock-out or loosen. In this case, please rinse the tooth and place the tooth in milk and try to get to the on-call dentist within 1 hour. In this case, it may be possible to re-implant the tooth.
In cases were a large portion of the tooth is broken away (as in a hockey accident) it may be possible to save the nerve and therefore the tooth if the exposure is small. It is also ideal to have the tooth treated and repair within 1 hour.
In the case of a large exposure or the tooth is not treated in a timely fashion, a root canal will be necessary.
Although chipped, cracked and/or abscessed teeth are probably the most common dental emergencies, most emergency dentists will be equipped to handle practically any dental emergency.
Follow-Up Visit
When the emergency dentist has sorted out your dental problem, you will usually be able to go home immediately afterward. The patient usually returns to his/her own dentist for follow up care. If they do not have any existing dentist, Dr. Ralph Bastian and his staff will be pleased to help you.
In search of a reputable dentist? Peterborough’s residents trust Dr. Ralph Bastian! Contact us today to book an appointment.
